In Memory of Annette Russell

Annette S. Russell, age 87, of Cambridge died March 20, 2025 at home. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, April 11th at Faith Lutheran Church in Isanti. A memorial visitation will be held from 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. Thursday, April 10th at Strike Life Tributes in Isanti and also one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.

Annette Shirley (Gunnerson) Russell was born on September 12, 1937 in Annandale, Minnesota. She was the 8th of 9 children in the family of Ray and Ellen Gunnerson who were farmers in that community. Ray (100% Swede) and Ellen Nivala (100% Finnish) were very strict parents who taught and enforced their respect for other people, total honesty in all parts of life, strong work ethics and full support and attendance in the local Lutheran church. Of course, those values were passed on to Annette and then to her children.

Annette attended public schools and confirmation classes in Annandale. Upon graduation, high scholastically, from high school, she moved to Minneapolis to live with her sister Carol. She obtained employment as a Financial Data Processor at the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis. Late in 1956, she attended a “Mixer Dance” at the University of Minnesota and met Ivan Russell. Following a 2 ½ year courtship they were married at St. John’s Lutheran church in Annandale. Annette continued to work for about 1 ½ years until Laura was born. Annette then devoted a large portion of her time to maintaining a family home, yard and garden and instilling her values and knowledge in her 4 children. She developed and operated Annette’s Catering Service which created the ambience and food for numerous weddings of members of families at Faith Lutheran Church in Isanti, Minnesota. She also worked as a food processor and server at Temple Israel in Minneapolis and volunteered countless hours in food preparation and serving etc. at Faith Lutheran Church.

Annette loved music. She was a self-taught piano player who practiced her version of songs, mostly hymns, nearly every day on her beloved baby-grand piano. She mastered numerous songs for her own, and other family member’s, enjoyment. Toward the end of her ability to play, she was in the final stages of learning Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” in response to a special request from one of her grandchildren.

In later years, she prepared and printed “A Collection of Recipes from Friends and Relatives”. That cookbook, containing about 400 recipes, lovingly modified with her special touches, was distributed to her children, nieces, nephews and a few friends. The feedback has been “It’s wonderful”.

Just recently, even after several years of suffering from dementia, Annette could recite Bible passages and sing songs she had learned in her early life attendance at Sunday school or in confirmation classes she had attended in her early teen years.

Annette was preceded in death by her parents and all of her siblings and their spouses. She is survived by Ivan Russell, her husband of 65 years, Daughter Laura (Doug) Ross and their children Kristen and Nicole, Daughter Rebecca (Greg) Wilson and their children Logan, Alexis and Jenna, Son Gary Russell, and Daughter Kristine (Brandon) Voltzke and their children Max and Ella.